Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
4.5 Stars

Synopsis
Bowen MacRieve is determined to return his deceased mate to life, but the moment he sets eyes on Mariketa the Awaited he cannot resist the passion that burns between them. Mari is unable to control her immense powers until she must use them to protect the only thing she ever truly wanted - Bowen. Will Bowen and Mari risk everything to be together?

Review
Definitely lives up to its potential.

Mari is my favorite heroine in the series. She has incredible power and I love that she has no qualms using it against Bowen - she is one woman you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

In the previous books, Bowen's suffering made him a captivating character and his struggle to come to terms with his show more growing obsession with Mari only enhances his heroic status. There were times when I wanted to slap him upside the head for his prejudices, but he more than makes up for them by the end.

Together, Mari and Bowen are simply amazing. Their love/hate relationship is engrossing, their steamy scenes sexy as hell and their banter laugh-out-loud funny.

The beginning of the story overlaps with certain moments from the Talisman Hie originally depicted in No Rest for the Wicked, and it is interesting to see these events from Bowen's perspective. The rest of the plot is entertaining even if it is a little predictable toward the end but it all comes together in an explosive and satisfying conclusion.

Cole's world building is well detailed and compelling, and I particularly enjoyed the introduction of several new secondary characters who will ultimately get books of their own, i.e. the demon brothers Cade and Rydstrom.

All in all, a fun, fun, fun read. show less

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.

Until this installment I didn’t realize that many of the plots in this series run parallel to each other, so when I found myself back in the midst of the Hie I was ecstatic. It was interesting finding out what happened to Bowen after Sebastian trapped him, and learning more about the witch who cursed him. The two protagonists played a wonderfully devious game of cat and mouse throughout WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT which made their dialogue hysterically funny, and their lovemaking mercurial, especially when MacRieve accidentally screamed his ex’s name. I had a blast listening to this title; Kresley Cole & Robert Petkoff are a powerhouse of audiobook wizardry!

Thus far, we’ve become versed in the show more intricate Lore surrounding this author’s Valkyries, vampires, and werewolves, so you’d be right to infer that my expectations vis-à-vis her witches were through the roof. Mariketa’s also part fey which means that Cole had heaps of awesome new material to work with, and rest assured that none of it was wasted. I loved discovering the powers related to the five casts, exploring the specifics surrounding the Awaited’s prophecy, and the captromancer powers were just plain cool (and creepy!). Other than a bit of glamour, and a couple of secondary characters, the fey elements were negligible which I’m assuming was intentional, and will be explored in a future installment.

I liked how dissimilar the two protagonists were; Mari is only twenty-two years old, hasn’t been frozen into her immortality yet, and is the embodiment of a modern young woman. In comparison, Bowen is ancient, has already found & lost his mate, and is prejudiced towards witches. Also, their relationship really got off on the wrong foot what with Mariketa cursing the werewolf, and MacRieve entombing her with crazed incubi. Watching these two attempt to bridge the gap was an exercise in futility, but when they finally give in to their baser instincts their chemistry was as clear as day. The twist at the end was exquisite, and I adored how it all came together.

With only three IMMORTALS AFTER DARK installments under my belt, and still ten left to go (plus novellas), I risk repeating myself with regards to Robert Petkoff’s narration; however for the time being I’ve no shortage of positive adjectives to use when it comes to his delivery of this series. His sinfully dreamy Scottish accent was back for a second lap, and in addition to it he unleashed Bowen’s beast with a guttural werewolf voice that succeeded in doing naughty things to my insides. I’m sure that Petkoff captured Mari’s character beautifully as well, but for some strange reason all I can remember is MacRieve. RAWR!

WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT’s title is self-explanatory or in other words… hot, hot, HOT! show less

Nope, not going any further with this series. This very nearly got a 1 or 2 star from me and would have if I hadn't ploughed through after the half-way mark.

She's not a possession, and that's the way he treats her at first. He talks about binning her contraceptive patch (hello, contraception isn't the only reason people use them), bins her vibrator, doesn't listen to her and then expects that she will fall over backwards to forgive him, and of bloody course she does because she's a doormat, not a whole person with attitude and backbone.

When he gets near the end the story becomes more believable and less one-sided in the power struggle, but this doesn't make me happy with the story and it would take some serious convincing to make me show more continue with the stories.

These are people with power, love does not lessen power, it often gives the person in love a solid place to come back to, a person to support them when the day gets dark. There may be compromise but in a good relationship it's on both sides. show less

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
4.5 Stars

Synopsis
Bowen MacRieve is determined to return his deceased mate to life, but the moment he sets eyes on Mariketa the Awaited he cannot resist the passion that burns between them. Mari is unable to control her immense powers until she must use them to protect the only thing she ever truly wanted - Bowen. Will Bowen and Mari risk everything to be together?

Review
Definitely lives up to its potential.

Mari is my favorite heroine in the series. She has incredible power and I love that she has no qualms using it against Bowen - she is one woman you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

In the previous books, Bowen's suffering made him a captivating character and his struggle to come to terms with his show more growing obsession with Mari only enhances his heroic status. There were times when I wanted to slap him upside the head for his prejudices, but he more than makes up for them by the end.

Together, Mari and Bowen are simply amazing. Their love/hate relationship is engrossing, their steamy scenes sexy as hell and their banter laugh-out-loud funny.

The beginning of the story overlaps with certain moments from the Talisman Hie originally depicted in No Rest for the Wicked, and it is interesting to see these events from Bowen's perspective. The rest of the plot is entertaining even if it is a little predictable toward the end but it all comes together in an explosive and satisfying conclusion.

Cole's world building is well detailed and compelling, and I particularly enjoyed the introduction of several new secondary characters who will ultimately get books of their own, i.e. the demon brothers Cade and Rydstrom.

All in all, a fun, fun, fun read. show less

Bowen MacReive is a Lykae cautionary tale. He lost his mate when she ran from him - and died. After centuries of half-life, he has one chance to return to the past and make things right. All he has to do is win the Talisman's Hie (think Amazing Race for immortals) and claim the prize. His competition - especially the witches - should beware.

Mariketa the Awaited has the potential to be the strongest witch ever. Unfortunately, what she's actually capable of seems to be blowing things up spectacularly, but not predictably. Winning the Hie will gain her some much needed respect, but since she's not yet immortal, it might just be the death of her.

Forced together by a curse, the pair might be fated - or they might kill one another. Odds are show more even either way.

Glass witch with misfiring powers = glitch. Love it! show less

This is the first book in the Immortals After Dark series that didn't completely satisfy me. I raced through Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, pulled along with Kresley Cole's usual fast pacing, smooth writing, and snappy dialogue. I liked the two leads, Mariketa and Bowen, but I did not like how their romance played out on the page.

My heart really went out to Bowen during books 1 and 2 in the series, I was really ready for him to catch a break and find his happily ever after. But I was also really curious: how could Bowen get a happily ever after when his one true mate is dead, and he can't travel back in time for her? Well, the answer *seems* to be witchcraft: Mariketa accidentally enchants Bowen to think she's his mate. He's sure show more he's been tricked, but the enchantment is indistinguishable from the reality and before long Bowen isn't sure he wants it to end.

Now, Lykae are absolutely, 100% devoted to their mates. No matter what Mari does, how she treats him, Bowen will come back for more. He literally cannot help himself. So what does that mean? Mari has all the power, and Bowen has none. Mari takes advantage of the situation in a kind of nasty way. Bowen runs himself ragged trying to win her, because it's his sole purpose in life. If he does a good enough job, Mari will hold out a shred of hope. But then he'll do or say something that isn't quite perfect, and Mari will threaten to leave him forever. Rinse and repeat.

Now, it can be really nice to read about a guy who will move heaven and earth for his woman, to see him really prove how much he cares. And Bowen has a few things to prove, for sure. But the way it worked out here really rubbed me wrong.

Here's an example which involves no spoilers. During the Hie, Bowen trapped Mariketa and a few other contestants inside a Mayan temple. Mari is trapped there for weeks, and the experience is truly hellish. Bowen thought Mari would be able to escape the temple because Mari told him she'd be able to. She was lying, but Bowen didn't know that. He didn't intend to torture or kill Mari; he just wanted to slow her down.

At the same time, Mari cursed Bowen so that he couldn't regenerate from wounds during the remainder of the Hie. Mari intended exactly the spell she executed, and she was convinced it would kill him. Bowen doesn't die, but he is horribly maimed - his face is burned, he gets shrapnel in his gut, he loses a hand.

So while Mari spends some seriously unpleasant time in an old temple with some nasty creatures, gross food, and bugs (but good company), Bowen is alone, injured, and hopeless in a fiery underground cavern. Bowen had it WAY worse than Mari. Mari intended the greater evil, and she caused more pain. But guess who has to apologize and grovel endlessly? Yep, Bowen. Bowen has to pay back Mari's suffering with (many) extravagant displays of devotion. Mari just has to decide when to forgive him. There's no balance.

Now, in A Hunger Like No Other - which also featured a Lykae hero - the Lykae's almost slavish devotion is balanced out by the fact that he's big and scary. Powerful. In Wicked Deeds, Bowen doesn't even have that advantage. Mari's magic is unstable...unless Bowen is nearby. Mari can pin him up, tie him down, whatever she feels like. He's physically and emotionally at her mercy.

Ok, enough. I'm going on and on because of how much I like this series, and this book was SO CLOSE for me. A few tweaks here and there and I'd just plain old love it. Instead it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. show less

This book begins by taking us back to the first days of the Hie to the Guatemalan tomb where Bowen entraps Mariketa and we discover that before doing so they had quite of a heated moment down there, fuelled by the fact that Bowen has feelings for another female after two centuries of feeling nothing. You see, a werewolf has only one Mate during his immortal lifetime– only one female who is supposed to be his to protect, to provide for, to love and the only one who can have his children. His fled him in terror on a new moon night when a werewolf has no control of his bestial side and ended up dead in front of him. He has never recovered, not only because he must face eternity alone but also because of his guilt and shame for who he show more is.

For the past two hundred years he hasn’t so much as looked at a female but all of a sudden he is taken with lust for Mariketa. He thinks that as a witch she has bewitched him into having feelings for her and that is one of the reasons why he entrapped her – for revenge.

Cut to two weeks later and he is rescued by his cousin Lachlain and by the Vampire Sebastian only to learn that Mariketa and the others never left the tomb and he is the only one that knows where it is located. Not only that, he also discovers that Mariketa is not an immortal, her transition has not yet happened and her chances are therefore, dim. It turns out that the tomb was not empty, there are evil beings down there. This is not good news for him as she is the only one who can lift the curse and restore his immortality.

So he goes back to rescue her and his Instinct tells him yet again that she is his Mate. He is now more than desperate for her to lift that curse as well. For one, he hates witches; they were responsible for family’s death. And also, he can not bear the guilt of wanting someone else other than his Mate. What he doesn’t know is that Mariketa, even though is rumoured to be the most powerful witch ever, is still too young and has not mastered her skills –it is very unlikely that she managed to do such a powerful spell.

They are now furious with each other but stuck together in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle and they must get to safety pronto: her coven has threatened war if he doesn’t deliver her back safely and the full moon is coming. And they bicker and they fight like any romance couple that deserve some respect until he eventually starts to think that she may be Mariah’s reincarnate. And once he makes that decision , once he decides he wants her, he becomes the epitome of the alpha male and on their way through the jungle towards civilisation he lets the Instinct guide him and becomes what he is supposed to be: her guardian and protector. He cares for her, he hunts for her, protects and threatens any male that comes near her: at one point he tells her that he wants to tear this other bloke’s throat and put it at her feet. Le sigh. This alpha male thing is definitely growing on me.

But as any good alpha male he is stubborn and does some stupid stupid things that end up hurting Mariketa – but she will not take it. Like for instance, after their first night of amazing sex he calls her Mariah . My first reaction was to mumble to myself :"nooooo, he did not!” That is, after all, a big no-no in the world of romance. But do you think she turned around and cried? Nope. She puts a sleeping spell on him and leaves him behind with a hilarious note:

"Fuckhead:
The name is MariKETA.
Go to hell,
the WITCH, doing a creepy spell somewhere right now. "

Of course, he goes after her and after some grovelling they manage to find a truce until something else happens. There are a lot of things that can keep them apart – starting with the fact that Mariketa refuses to be second best and pushes him to make a decision or that he does not want her to do magic but she will have none of that. She has a destiny and she WILL live it.

Nothing is simple, or black and white. They both have issues to work out. There are the undertones of a beauty and the beast story - he cannot control the Beast inside no more than he can control the moon cycles. So when it is a new moon night and she is taken by the guerrilla he goes apeshit and completely annihilates anyone and anything in its way to save her. That was a gruesome example of what he was capable of and it scared the hell out of Mari and yet he knows what he is and there is suffering and a need to control the beast when around her. By now Mariketa is halfway through falling in love with him and so I am.

It was great to see Bowen warming up to life again. After spending some time with Mariketa he starts to rethink his relationship with Mariah: did he really love her or the fact that she was his mate mattered more to him because he always wanted a family? It made my heart tons of good to see Bowen after almost two hundred years of suffering and misery to finally feel happiness and contentment again.

As much as I loved the other two instalments , I love this one even more. For this has the most basic romantic story – you know the type, the cute, heart warming story that makes you melt and go awwww more times than you can count.

In the end it was absolutely romance perfection because both characters were equally measured, equally powerful. They met in equal grounds and the love story was even more believable because it went past the Born to Mate thing, don’t want to spoil if she was or not his Mate but the fact is, it doesn’t matter. His choice was made before the truth even came out. And now I want to tear my heart out and put it down at Bowen’s feet – ladies and gentlemen, I have a new favourite for my desert island companion.

Mrs Cole: Signed, Sealed , Delivered, I am yours.

Notable quotes/parts: When they were walking through the jungle and Bowen starts to let his playful side come out. And they talk and they play and it’s so cute. And there is this one conversation where she asks him about 5 things that he likes and all of them are connected to her like the colour of her eyes or that his favourite place in the world is where she is. She tells him that they can’t be all about her and he simply replies: why not whilst internally he thinks She is the only good thing I have got. Completely. And. Utterly .Aw. Worthy.

Additional Thoughts: Mariketa is a sorcerer who can walk to other dimensions through mirrors . Kresley Cole says she got the idea out of a poem which Mariketa repeats every time she needs to talk to her reflection:

The Witch in the Glass

By Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

“My mother says I must not pass
Too near that glass;
She is afraid that I will see
A little witch that looks like me,
With a red, red mouth to whisper low
The very thing I should not know!”

“Alack for all your mother’s care!
A bird of the air,
A wistful wind, or (I suppose
Sent by some hapless boy) a rose,
With breath too sweet, will whisper low
The very thing you should not know!”

Verdict: A Desert Island keeper. Loved everything about it. I even liked the cover. I also may need intervention.

More at: http://thebooksmugglers.blogspot.com show less